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August, 2011 Monthly archive

“…each time you are frustrated to the hilt and tell me you’re close to a breakdown is when you get your next project.”
“But I don’t ALWAYS do that.”
“Each and every time my love, each and every time.”

While I’ve thought about it a lot of times – shoot someone’s wedding for some”thing” in exchange instead of cash or make a logo for somebody for something in exchange – but in a monetary economy it’s more a day dream than a practicable thought.

While I might be able to barter with my potential clients, I will not find anyone else willing to barter their services for mine. What am I going to tell the sabzi-wallah [ aka grocer ]? Today I will take a picture of you and you will give me one kg onions? I think not.

Pity.

“We need to do a photo shoot for our corporate brochures and need models + photographers. As a start-up, we can offer credit & gratitude rather than professional fees.”

Someone must be paying for the printing of the “corporate brochures”.

Shot this event. Got invited by a friend, took my camera along, made 25 frames only. Over a 2-day event.
They liked the images. Wanted to use them. Without pay.
Reason : “We’ve already paid the photographer we had hired but he did not produce good work.”
No comments.

All those crying hoarse from virtual rooftops about this being unrealistic and that being far from the truth. Don’t be stupid. Really. Get help. In the form of intelligent friends with whom you can have a conversation, which extends beyond the borders of “Who did you bang that night?” “What’s your current favorite alcohol?” “Traffic sucks.” “My Mom hates me.” “My job is killing me.”

There is no truth. Just your version of it.
Things happen yes. Those are facts. And very few know those facts. All you know, especially if you were not present there, is a “version”.

So A got slapped by B. The word “slapped” itself means different things to different people. Without your knowing who A and B are, if you call the “incident” fair / just / unjust, you are stupid. What if A is the father and B the son who drinks too much alcohol? Now reverse, B being the alcoholic father and A the sober son. Grow up. There is no excuse for being narrow minded.

Apart from the notion that you know the truth, you also color it when telling it forward. Mostly to your advantage. Admit it. Accept it. Being aware of it will allow you to sleep better and night and you can even call me up to tell me how wrong I am. As long as you are aware of what you’re doing. Maybe, then, we can even sit together and have a drink. Who knows. These things happen. Movies borrow from real life. The reverse is true rarely.

If you don’t understand what I am talking about above, you probably have very little appreciation for art.

Briefly, I have a very typical story : did the typical B.Com, MBA, worked for a year as a management consultant. Quit. Started freelancing as a graphic designer – identity, print, web and whatnot. After 4 years of that turned into a logo design specialist. In year six turned to photography and I shoot mostly portraiture, lifestyle and weddings now with very very selective clients for whom I still create visual identities – logos / branding etc. I am still not sure what I love more – identity design / photography – so I’ve settled, personally, calling myself a visual specialist [ ooooh! 😀 ]. I love colors, structure, chaos, to travel and weddings. Tough to shoot yet great place to learn how to shoot really. Constantly on my feet. A wedding shoot is the only way you’ll ever see me at a wedding 😉 This year I’ve had a chance to travel to Canada, France, Italy, Holland, Austria & Switzerland and there is nothing that can make me move from India, ever. It’s chaotic yes, most people are vile and untrustworthy yes, but the warmth here… I aint found it nowhere else. I am a stationery addict. I buy diaries and notebooks and sketchpads by the dozens and a buy a lot of books as well. I don’t have a library at home but if I built one, it would be full. Moleskines. Swoon. Lambrusco and Sherry by the bottle please.